Automatic liquid-strainer.



No. 842,602. PATBNTED JAN. 29, 19.07.

v H. WURDAGK.

AUTOMATIC LIQUID STRAINEB.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1906.

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, PATENTED JAN. 29", 1907; H. WURDAGK. AUTOMATIG LIQUID STRAINER.

.APPLIOATION FILED JULY 20, 1.906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

AUTOMATIC LIQUID-STRANIER- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed July 20,1906. Serial No. 327.072.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO WURDACK, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Liquid-Strainers, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to devices for straining liquids, and the objectof my invention is to provide a device of the character described inwhich the substance or refuse matter that is removed from the liquidwhich passes through the device will be automatically discharged, andthus prevent the device from becoming clogged.

My device is intended to be used principally for straining unfilteredwater which is used for commercial purposes; but it will of course beunderstood that said device is not limited to this use and could be usedequally well for other purposes without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

The main object of my invention is to pro- Ivide a device for strainingliquids which is so constructed that all of the refuse matter which isstrained from the liquid will be automatically discharged from thedevice, and thus dispense with the necessity of manually cleaning outthe device.

Figure l is a verticall cross-sectional view of a device embodying thefeatures of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view takenon-the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa rear'end elevation of the device,and Fig. 5 is a detail top plan view taken on about the line 5 5 of Fig.1.

Referring to the drawings, which represent the preferred form of myinvention, 1 designates a hollow T-shaped casting provided at its lowerend with a receiving-opening 2, through which the water enters, and atits upper end with a discharge-opening 3. A screen 4 is located insideof the casting, and said screen is preferably of tubular form andconstructed of perforated metal, although, if desired, 'wire mesh or anyother suitable material could be substituted for the perforated metal. Ahead 5 is connected to the rear end of the casting, and on the interiorof the casting is a wall 6, through which the front end of the screen 4projects, said wall closely surrounding the upper half of the peripheryof the screen, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the water will have to passthrough the screen and leave the open end thereof to reach thedischarge-opening 3. The casting is also provided with an'inwardly-extending wall 7, surrounding the lower half of the endportion of the screen and extending over the entrance-opening 2 todeflect the water into the main chamber of the casting in which thescreen 4 is located. The screen 4, which, as previously stated, is oftubular form, is carried by a rotatable shaft 8, extending hori-Zontally through the casting, said shaft having connected thereto a disk9, to which the rear end of the screen is fastened, and a` spider 10, towhich the front end of the screen is fastened, the spider 10 beingmounted on a reduced portion of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 1. Thereduced portion of the shaft is mounted in a bearing 11, connected tothe casting, and said bearing is provided with lubricating-ports leadinginto the hollow interior thereof and with an adjusting-screw 12, thatbears against the front end of the shaft. The rear end of the shaftextends through the head at the rear end of the casting and through astufiing-box carried by said head.

Preferably the water is forced into the casting by pressure, and as thewater iiows through the casting the refuse matter in the water will bedeposited on the exterior of the screen 4, the water passing inside ofthe screen and out through the discharge-opening 3. A scraper 13,extending approximately the entire length of the screen, is arrangedadjacent the screen, as shown in Fig. 2, so that as the screen revolvesthe refuse matter will be removed therefrom and drop into a conduit 14,which communicates with a discharge-pipe 15, in which a valve 16 ismounted, as shown in Fig. 1, said valve being actuated intermittently topermit the refuse matter to be forced through said dischargepipe by thepressure of the water in the casting. The conduit 14 is preferablyformed by a separate casting and has a contracted end, as shown in Fig.1, the upper end of the conduit being approximately as wide as thelength of the scraper which is fastened to a flange 17 thereon, theconduit being retained in position 'by fastening devices 18, whichproject through the wall of the main chamber of the casting 1, as shownin Fig. 2.

For enabling the interior ofthe conduit 14 IOO IIO

to be reached the casting 1 is provided adjacent the upper end of saidconduit with a removable cap 19, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

I have herein shown the discharge-pipe as being provided with agate-valve 16 but it will of course be understood that any suitable typeof valve could be employed. Preferably the screen 4 is rotated by a worm20,

Which meshes with a gear 21, fastened to the l shaft 8, on which thescreen is mounted, the shaft 22, on which the worm 20 is mounted, beingprovided with a drive pulley 23. I prefer to utilize the rotary movementof the screen for actuating the release-valve in the discharge-pipe 15,and, as shown in Fig. 4, the gear 21 has an arm 25 connected thereto,which intermittently engages a block 26, fastened to a rod 27, mountedin bearings 2S, connected to the head of the casting and provided at itslower end with a pin 29, Whi-cn projects into the bifurcated end of abellcrank lever 30, which imparts a reciprocating movement to the valve16. The shaft 31, on which the bell-crank lever is mounted, is carriedby brackets 32, connected to the head of the casting, which bracketsalso support the main drive-shaft 22.

The stem 33 of the gate-valve 16 has a cross-arm 34, pivotally connectedto its outer end, and this arm is connected to the bell-crank lever 30by a chain 35, as shown in Fig. 1, the opposite end of said cross-armbeing connected to the valve-casing 36 by a link 37. After the valve hasbeen operated by the reciprocation of the rod 27 said valve, and alsothe rod 27, will be returned to normal position by means of a spring 38,which is connected to the valve-casing and to the end of the cross-arm34, to which chain is fastened, as shown clearly in Fig. 5.

As previously stated, I prefer to force the water. through the castingby means of pressure, and when the device is operated on this principlethe pressure of the water inside 0f the main chamber of the casting 1will force the refuse matter out through the conduit and discharge-pipe.If desired, however, I can draw the water through the casting 1 bysuction, and when the device is operated in this manner it will benecessary to connect the discharge-pipe with a pump or some suitabledevice for creating a suction to draw the refuse matter out of thedischarge-pipe and conduit. Ihile I prefer to construct the casting inthe form of a T, with the entrance- `opening at the bottom and thedischargeopening at the top of the casting, I do not Wish it to beunderstood that this particular form of casting is at all essentialtothe successful operation of my device, for the discharge-opening couldbe formedvin alinement with the end of the screen or the casting couldbe constructed in numerous other ways Without departing from the spiritof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1` A device of the class described, comprising a shell or casing adaptedto receive water, said casing being provided with a receivingopening anda discharge-opening, a screen located inside of said casing forstraining the refuse matter from the Water which passes through thecasing, a conduit, means for removing the refuse matter from the screenand discharging it into the conduit, and means for permitting the refusematter to be discharged from the conduit automatically; substantially asdescribed.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a shell or casing adaptedto receive water, said casing being provided with a, receivingopeningand a discharge-opening, a cylindrical screen rotatably mounted insideof the casing for separating the refuse matter from the water whichpasses through the casing, a scraper cooperating with the exterior ofthe screen to remove the refuse matter therefrom, a conduit forreceiving said refuse matter, a valve for controlling the discharge ofsaid matter from said conduit, and means for actuating said valveintermittently; substantially as described. i 3. A device of the classdescribed, comprising a shell or casing adapted to receive water, saidshell being provided with a receivingopening and a discharge-opening, atubular screen rotatably mounted in said shell and so arranged that thewater which passes through the shell will pass into the interior of thescreen and thus deposit the refuse matter in the water on the exteriorof the screen, a scraper for removing said refuse matter from thescreen, a conduit for receiving said refuse matter, and a valve forcontrolling the discharge of the refuse matter from said conduit 5substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a casing adapted toreceive water and provided with an entrance-opening and adischarge-opening, a tubular screen arranged horizontally in said casingfor straining the refuse matter from the water which passes through thecasing, means for rotating said screen, a scraper for removing therefuse matter therefrom, a conduit for receiving said matter, and anautomatically-operated valve for controlling the discharge of the refusematter from said conduit; substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a casing, a screenarranged inside of said casing, a scraper cooperating with said screen,a conduit arranged adjacent -said scraper, a valve for controlling thepassage of matter from said conduit, means for rotating said screencontinuously, and means for actuating the valve intermittently gsubstantially as described.

IOO

. ing a casing, a screen located inside of said casing, a hollow memberarranged beneath said screen to form a conduit, and a scraper fastenedto the upper edge of said hollow member; substantially as described.

8. Adevice of the class described, comprising a casing, a horizontal`shaft extending through said casing, a tubular screen carried by saidshaft, a scraper cooperating with the exterior of said screen, a conduitarranged adjacent said scraper, a valve for controlling the passage ofmatter from said conduit, means for rotating said screen continuously,mechanism for actuating the valve, and a device which travels with thescreen for actuating said mechanism intermittently; substantially asdescribed.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a casing, a horizontalshaft extending through said casing, a tubular screen carried -by saidshaft, a s'craper coperating with the exterior of said screen, a conduitarranged adjacent said scraper, a valve for controlling the passage ofmatter from said conduit,

means for rotating said screen continuously, a reciprocating rod, abell-crank lever connected to the lower end of said rod, a connectionbetween the bell-crank lever and said valve, and means for actuatingsaid rod intermittently 3 substantially as described.

l0. A device of the class described, comprising a casing, a horizontalshaft extending through said casing, a tubular screen carried by saidshaft, a scraper cooperating with the exterior of said screen, a conduitarranged adjacent said scraper, a valve for controlling the passage ofmatter from said conduit, means for rotating said screen continuously, areciprocating rod, a bell-crank lever connected to thelower end of saidrod, a crossarm connected to the stem of said valve, a connectionbetween said bell-crank lever and one end of said cross-arm, a linkfastened to the other end of said cross-arm and to a stationary member,means for actuating said reciprocating rod intermittently to operate thevalve, and a spring for returning said rod to normal position;substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 3d day of July, 1906.

HUGO VURDACK.

Witnesses WELLS L. CHURCH, CORA BADGER.

